Rio Tinto’s ERA Ranger uranium mine doomed by Climate Change?
Today’s Australian newspaper covers the very drastic threat now posed to Kakadu National Park by by flooding and sea level rises.
These climate changes mean that Kakadu is further threatened by radioactive waste leaks from theRanger uranium mine.
ERA’s uranium mine is surely no longer viable, and it is high time that RioTinto closed it down permanently and stopped this charade of Northern Territory uranium mining having an economic future – Christina Macpherson
Kakadu treasures ‘at mercy’ of climate-change floods * Sid Maher : The Australian * June 03, 2011 KAKADU faces more flooding and a loss of freshwater flora and fauna as a result of sea-level rises caused by climate change.
A report released yesterday by the Climate Change Department predicts that over the next 20 to 60 years, there will be more large floods on the South Alligator River, which is in Kakadu National Park.
The predictions are based on models predicting 143mm of sea-level rise by 2030 and 700mm of sea-level rise by 2070…… Kakadu treasures ‘at mercy’ of climate-change floods | The Australian
They still don’t know how to clean up Rum Jungle’s uranium wastes
A RUM MATTER, Brisbane Times, Damien Murphy and Aaron Cook June 1, 2011 Still glowing in the dark after all these years, the Rum Jungle uranium mine, 100 kilometres south of Darwin, needs another $7 million report to find out how to clean it up 40 years after it closed. The Greens’ Scott Ludlam told the Senate the money would be spent over four years just to determine how to deal with the defunct uranium mine’s toxic legacy. “The government can’t tell us yet what the final cost will be. The multi-million-dollar, publicly funded assessment is just the beginning.
Forty years after this mine closed, it continues to be an environmental graveyard for the Northern Territory. How many decades and how many millions of dollars will it take to clean up Ranger mine, or Olympic Dam?” The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trailer finds its way out
Half of Australia’s uranium workers not tested for radiation
Serious exposure to uranium had been discovered including workers showering and drinking radioactive water because of a pipe that was hooked up to the wrong section at an NT mine
Radiation dose register fails Northern Territory, Andrea 
Hayward May 31, 2011 Sydney Morning Herald Half of Australia’s uranium mine workers have been left off the National Radiation Dose Register, a Senate hearing has heard.
Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam said it was revealed in Senate estimates that workers at uranium mines in the Northern Territory had not been included on the register. Continue reading
Murdoch press backs calls for a second Aboriginal intervention
John Howard used their plight to enact a long prepared plan to close “economically unviable” communities, open up Aboriginal land for exploitation and private profit, and develop a cheap labour force…
a new media campaign, particularly in the Murdoch-owned Australian and NT News, to pave the way for another round of punitive measures against Aborigines…….federal opposition leader Tony Abbott made a much publicised visit to Alice Springs late last month to announce his plan for a “second intervention”
The Aboriginal “intervention” in Australia: four years on, World Socialist Website, By Susan Allan30 May 2011 As the fourth anniversary of the Northern Territory (NT) intervention approaches, calls are being made for a new round of regressive measures against Aboriginal people, including a “second intervention”……
..The expressions of humanitarian concern were, however, a smokescreen for a socially retrograde agenda. Continue reading
Future rainfall will determine if Ranger uranium mine has any future
“This is highly dependent on future rainfall,” the company [ERA – subsidiary of Rio Tinto] said.
Leading Australian uranium mine remains suspended, Mineweb.com -The heavy rains that have kept much of N. Australia waterlogged for months have also resulted in the suspension of one of theworld’s largest uranium mines – Ranger Ross Louthean , 14 Apr 2011 PERTH – Continue reading
Aboriginal Catholic Ministry welcomes U.N. probe into Northern Territory Intervention
On her arrival in Darwin, Ms Pillay was handed a petition signed by 6500 Australians calling for her support in restoring the rights of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory….Ms Pillay also said the Aborigines told her they were under pressure from the Govern-ment to sign 99-year leases over their land which they saw as “a land grab”…….The enabling legislation for the intervention expires in June next year.
UN NT probe, The Catholic Leader, 29 May 2011, By: Paul Dobbyn A TOP United Nations official’s Australian visit to investigate the Federal Government’s Northern Territory Intervention has been welcomed by the head of a ministry to Aboriginal Catholics. Continue reading
Darwin protest rally against nuclear waste dump
Traditional owners, environmentalists and trade unionists called on federal politicians to block a bill before the Senate, which would allow a waste dump to be built at Muckaty Station, about 100 kilometres north of Tennant Creek
Nuclear waste dump opponents rally, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Jano Gibson, 11 May 11 , A Northern Territory Labor Minister has called on his federal colleagues to abandon plans to set up a nuclear waste storage facility in the Northern Territory. Continue reading
Australia’s Nuclear Waste Bill debated today – despite Strong Local Opposition
“It’s false to claim that the waste dump is purely for medical waste.”..
The National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010 was expected to pass through the Senate last night. But the Senate failed to debate the Bill by the time of print. Senate continues today.
Locals reject waste dump, Northern Territory News, CONOR BYRNE | May 12th, 2011 ‘NO’ was the message from an anti-nuclear waste dump protest at Parliament House in Darwin on Wednesday. The gathering rejected a nuclear waste dump anywhere in the NT, especially at the planned Muckaty Station site, about 120km north of Tennant Creek. Continue reading
Northern Territory Labor Minister joins anti nuclear waste dump rally
Nuclear waste dump opponents rally, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Jano Gibson, 11 May 11 , A Northern Territory Labor Minister has called on his federal colleagues to abandon plans to set up a nuclear waste storage facility in the Northern Territory. Member for Barkly Gerry McCarthy was one of about 50 people who staged an anti-nuclear dump protest outside Parliament House in Darwin this afternoon.
Mr McCarthy says a federal court challenge to the Muckaty Station nomination shows the site is in dispute among Aboriginal clan groups and the nomination should be withdrawn.
Traditional owners, environmentalists and trade unionists called on federal politicians to block a bill before the Senate, which would allow a waste dump to be built at Muckaty Station, about 100 kilometres north of Tennant Cree……this is an issue for Australia and Australia’s first nuclear waste management facility.”
Lorna Fejo told the crowd she was a traditional owner from the Muckaty Station area and she was against a waste dump.
“I am a traditional owner of Muckaty by acceptance to the land, the law and the culture, and I say no to Muckaty being used as a dump,” she said.
Nuclear waste dump opponents rally – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
ERA talks up Ranger uranium mine, despite floods, share price fall
…… Energy Resources itself has also been under siege, with accusations that it may be lax in environmental monitoring during its operational suspension.
fears were raised over pollution leaks from the Ranger mine, and it was accused of allowing 100 000 litres of contaminated water to seep from its tailings dam….
A NEW ERA FOR ERA, Australian Mining 10 May 2011 “……Rio Tinto’s Energy Resources Australia (ERA) has stated that it believes there is an additional 34 000 tonnes of high grade uranium oxide underneath its existing open pit at the Ranger mine, near Jabiru in the Northern Territory. According to the miner, exploratory drilling at its 3 Deeps project is set to increase the life of the mine.This is despite the world’s fourth largest uranium producer’s suspension on its operations.
…… A total of 2 490 millilitres of rain has inundated the mine since September last year, the wettest period it has seen since recoding 2 527 millilitres of rainfall in 2006/07. This rainfall also flooded out Energy Resources’ Pit 3, essentially forming a pit lake. Due to this, Energy Resources Australia does not expect to obtain access to the high grade ore at Pit 3 until much later this year. Continue reading
Shut Ranger uranium mine – it’s losing money anyway
Rio urged to curb uranium mine expansion,ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) By Jano Gibson May 5, 2011 The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has urged Rio Tinto to stop a planned expansion of the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory.Rio Tinto subsidiary Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) runs the uranium mine on a lease inside Kakadu National Park.Production is currently suspended following a record wet season in the Territory and Rio Tinto is holding its annual general meeting in Perth today.ACF spokesman Dave Sweeney says it should use the opportunity to scale back plans for the mine.”Ranger is a leaking, ageing and under-performing mine,” he said.”The mine is currently shut. It is not turning a dollar.”It is losing contaminants into the environment and it is losing money for Rio Tinto and ERA.”
Rio urged to curb uranium mine expansion – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) poor uranium investment future
The Sell argument is summed up by RBS Australia, which suggests there remains downside valuation and earnings risk from any further significant rainfall events. As well, a strategic review is likely to conclude the heap leach and Ranger 3 Deeps projects are not viable, which would further impact on valuation and sentiment in RBS’s view. BA-ML takes a similar view and has stripped both projects from its model.
No Joy For Energy Resources Of Australia, FNArena News – May 04 2011 – ERA proposes increased capex to deal with water issues – Valuations and earnings estimates adjusted lower – Broker opinions and targets remain divided, By Chris Shaw Continue reading
Aboriginal objections to uranium mining’s “Self Regulation”
150,000 litres of contaminated water a day escapes from a tailings dam at Rio Tinto’s Ranger mine, in Kakadu.
Mining must come clean, Northern Territory News, ELLIE TURNER | May 3rd, 2011 TRADITIONAL landowners and support bodies are pushing for an overhaul of the uranium mining industry’s “self-regulation”. Continue reading
ERA uranium company delays improvements to Ranger water management
Ranger uranium miner accused of delays, ABC News, 2 May 11, By Anna Henderson, An environmental scientist is calling on a uranium miner in Kakadu National Park to urgently improve its water management or it risks serious harm to the environment. Continue reading
End self-regulation of uranium mines: ERA can’t be trusted
The situation at Ranger added weight to his calls for an end to self-regulation of the Northern Territory’s resources sector.
“Mining companies have consistently shown they can’t be trusted to monitor themselves and the government needs to step in and end this ridiculous situation immediately.”
Uranium mine shutdown sparks environmental fears, Sydney Morning Herald, Lindsay Murdoch DarwinApril 19, 2011 THE largest Aboriginal organisation in northern Australia has warned the Rio Tinto-controlled company Energy Resources of Australia against cutting corners on environmental protection during an emergency shutdown of its Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park. Continue reading
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